Did you know that painted turtles can live for more than 100 days when submerged in frozen water? My favorite turtle is the painted one. Since I was 13, I have had one.

Today I will be writing about how long it takes for painted turtle eggs hatch.

The fascinating species of painted turtles is a rare one. These turtles can be found anywhere from the Canadian border in the north to the Mexican border in the south. They are one of the few turtle species that is widely distributed in America.

How is this possible? How high is their fecundity? Are they able to lay hundreds of eggs per day?

Continue reading for more information!

How Long Does It Take For Painted Turtle Eggs To Hatch?

In the wild, painted turtle eggs can take between 70 and 80 days to hatch. The eggs hatch in August or September because the female turtles typically lay eggs around May-Mid Jul, which is when they are most active.

If the conditions are right, the gestation time is the same in artificial settings.

The baby teeth are a tiny projection of the jaw that helps the young hatchlings get out of their eggs and continue to live normal lives.

This is the first time in a turtle’s entire life that it has a tooth.

An eastern painted turtle is laying eggs!

How Is The Egg’s Sex Determined?

As with most turtles, the temperature at which young hatchlings can sex is important for painted turtles. The main determining factor is the temperature at which the eggs are laid during the development period. Cold temperatures produce males, while hot weather produces women.

Research shows that eggs incubated at temperatures lower than 22-27degC produce males and eggs incubated at higher temperatures over 30degC produce women. A tiny temperature window allows both sexes of the brood to hatch from one egg.

So, What Happens Next Once The Painted Turtle Eggs Hatch?

Baby turtles rely on egg yolk material to survive, since mother turtles are not present during hatching. The yolk sac is attached to the underside of their shell, which contains all the essential nutrients that turtles require for survival and water.

The turtle will eventually absorb the sac back into its body over several days.

Where Do Baby Painted Turtles Go After Hatching? 

The love of a mother turtle is hard on the baby painted turtles.

After the eggs are laid by the mother turtle, the mother turtle doesn’t give any maternal care. She just goes her way. Baby painted turtles emerge from their shells at night and are left to search for water bodies.

Here’s the fun part.

Some hatchlings do not leave the nest right away.

For instance, the offspring from the Nebraska-Northern Illinois-New Jersey line tend to be symmetrical in their nests throughout the winter. They only emerge to live in the wild in the spring.

Baby painted turtles can be just as tough as their parents. Their unique ability to survive winters in their nest is what makes them so popular across the US.

Who Preys On Painted Turtle Eggs And Babies?

Some painted turtle eggs do not make it to the baby stage, and some babies never reach adulthood. Birds, skunks and raccoons hunt nests down and eat baby turtles and eggs.

It is not unusual for 90% of the painted turtle eggs and babies to die in the wild due to predation.

Now that we know the time it takes for painted turtle eggs hatch, and what happens afterward, let us get back to where it all began!

When Do Painted Turtles Reach Sexual Maturity?

Male painted turtles reach sexual maturity at 2-4 years old, while females can take 6-10. The latitude affects the size and maturity of the turtle.

In the northernmost part of their range, males can reach sexual maturity at age 7-9, while females are at their peak at 11-16.

When Are Painted Turtle Eggs Fertilized?

When the temperature is between 10-25deg and 50-77degF, painted turtles will mate in spring. The body of a male will produce sperm when it is warm enough to keep its internal temperature at 17°C (63°F) in the spring.

A female’s reproductive cycle begins in mid-summer and ends in spring.

How Do Painted Turtles Mate?

Courtship involves a male following a woman until they are face-to-face. Then he will caress her neck with his front claws and then kiss her. The gesture will be returned by the consenting female.

The cycle continues in different intervals, until the female swims to her bottom to conceive. The female will keep the sperm for as long as 3 years after the end of copulation.

When Do Painted Turtles Lay Their Eggs?

The eggs are laid by female painted turtles between May and July. The nests are usually made of sandy soil and have south-facing exposures. Each year, the female turtle returns to her nesting site to lay her eggs.

As evolution has shown her, however, the mother turtle will make several holes with her hind feet to confuse predators.

Here’s a great bit.

The female painted turtle rests her neck against the ground when digging. It’s almost as if she’s measuring the site. Although it is widely believed that she is taking measurements of the ground’s texture, heat, and moisture, we don’t know the science behind this behavior.

Female turtles can lay as many as five clutches per year. However, this number will depend on the turtle’s health and size.

Now Let’s Explore How To Hatch Painted Turtle Eggs!

Turtles are very vulnerable to death in the wild. Nature takes care of it. You can either use natural or artificial incubation to hatch eggs in captivity. You must be careful, as there is no room for error.

Natural Incubation

You don’t have to hatch the eggs. You can leave the eggs at the nest of your turtle and hope for the best hatching rates. A single clutch can contain between 5-15 eggs.

Let’s say that the eggs were laid on a sunny, sandy location. The incubation time could be between 70 and 80 days in this case, similar to what happens in nature.

If she has placed her eggs in an artificial egg box, you can pick them up and incubate in a warm area with a temperature range of 22-30degC (70-85degF).

Artificial Incubation

Hatching turtle eggs can be a difficult business. A functional incubator is essential if you want to be serious about hatching turtle eggs. Instead of building one yourself, it is better to buy an incubator from a manufacturer. This takes a lot of effort and time.

If you are looking for a great incubator at a great price, Zoo Med has one.

When incubating eggs, be sure to not shake, turn, or rotate them.

This can lead to the embryo being trapped in the walls, and thus effectively killing it.

The temperature should range from 22-30degC (70-85degF) once again. It can be a little higher or lower depending on your preference.

Humidity should not exceed 80%

How To Know If My Painted Turtle Eggs Are Fertilized?

A few days after the eggs have been laid, bring an egg into a darkened room. Use a torchlight to illuminate the underside of the egg. If the eggs have fertilized, you will be able to see the embryo as well as a network blood vessels.

The light that comes through fertilized eggs is also pinkish. Unfertilized eggs are not affected by any color.

Turtle eggs can take a while to mature. Don’t throw away the eggs if you don’t see any signs of life within the first few attempts. Continue to check for signs of life for several weeks.

The eggs become stiffer and more rubbery as they develop.

Why Is My Painted Turtle Not Laying Eggs?

A painted turtle can hold her eggs if the environment is not ideal. This is very dangerous for her and could lead to her death. She can retain eggs due to poor diet, insufficient nesting areas, stress, or inadequate nutrition. The potential cause could be physical abnormalities in the reproductive organ.

Lack Of Calcium In Diet

Calcium is essential for turtles to maintain healthy skeletal and muscle functions. A calcium-deficient diet can lead to a painted turtle losing her eggs.

Inadequate Basking Opportunities

A gravid-painted turtle that doesn’t get enough sun exposure will not absorb calcium. Dystocia could result in abnormally slow labor.

Stress

An overexcited painted turtle will keep her eggs as long as she can. Stress could be caused by a lack of nesting areas, overcrowded tanks or low temperatures.

Inappropriate Nesting Area

Gravid-painted turtles will always look for suitable nesting areas. The potential sites for a captive turtle are much smaller, which means that the retention is significantly lower.

You must arrange for your turtle to lay eggs at home if she is pregnant.

Physical Abnormalities

Sometimes the turtle may retain her eggs due to physical abnormalities in the reproductive organ. You should immediately consult a professional if your turtle seems to be gravid, but isn’t laying eggs despite favorable circumstances.

How Long Does It Take For Western Painted Turtle Eggs To Hatch?

The hatching of western-painted turtle eggs takes between 72 and 80 days. The hatchlings typically emerge from their shells around August or September.

How Long Does It Take For Eastern Painted Turtle Eggs To Hatch?

Eastern painted turtle eggs hatch in 72 days. Each clutch contains approximately 4-10 eggs.

Conclusion: How long does it take for painted turtle eggs to hatch

In a natural environment, the incubation time for painted turtle eggs is between 70 and 80 days. The hatching time can be affected by factors such as temperature change and the environment.

The eggs hatch in August or September because they are laid in the late spring or early summer.